stories and lessons from painting outdoors

Real creative time management

This blog thing is getting pretty fun. There are a ton of great comments that I want to address, like the similarities between writing and painting pointed out by Jaime Morris, our resident writing coach. But first a word on time management. You are, more than likely, a creative type, I’m assuming, unless you are reading this because you are a family member and want to be able to say that you did. Not to say my family isn’t creative, they all are. But as an artistic individual, I’ll bet you’re lamenting the fact that you can’t get enough time to paint or create something with words or music or fabric and wheat paste… whatever you are into. Maybe you are sitting there and wondering, “I’m wondering how other creative types find time in their day to get it done?” So, to give you a little insight into my life as an artist, I’ve charted out generally how may days are spent, so that you can look at how you spend your time and think, “Hey, I’m not that bad.”

Just trying to help. Next up, the self-confidence chart. By the way, fixing sink and fixing drink are interchangeable.

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12 Responses

I can’t believe how acurate your pie chart is for my creative life! Could it be a universal thing? I think I would be horrified to see just how much time I spend talking, scratching, feeding and playing with my dogs compared to painting time… I was also interested in how your thinking about painting slice was so much bigger than your actual painting slice. That’s why I dis-like the question “how much time did it take to paint this?” I want to answer- it took every waking hour of my life and a few sleeping ones too!

It was great to talk to you and Martha at the Miami Icicle-fest. I stay so much in my little rat-hole, it’s good to get out once in a while and practice actual language with others.

You would never know that looking at your work Maria. I always imagined that you were a workhorse of an artist for all you create. For sure my thinking about painting slice outweighs the actual painting slice by 20 to one. Always good to see you too and get a chance to talk. That was the single most coldest art event I’ve ever been to and it was in Miami ferchrisakes. Go figure.

Quality time spent on the truth’s of we artists! It’s curious and sometimes maddening when people ask ‘how long did it take you to do that?’ Love your answer Maria, and how right on is that?! I find that many inquirers have 9-5 jobs that would bore us to death (been there/done that without any success at all…). Makes me want to ask them how much time they spent today actually doing something productive for their bosses.

I spend oodles of time with my ever so faithful and loving creatures; doing the same things that ya’ll have already mentioned. A good hour of rollerblading with the doggie (Sarge) can be written off as killing multiple birds with one stone. Both our body’s get the physical exercise automatically without any time requirement from my brain. Which is good because my brain is busy with the painting stuff – composing; analyzing the quality of the daylight; the colors; the forms; the values…. and of course the story that inspires the very few paintings that actually come from that hour of ‘work’.

There’s also the minute or two of pure meditation that my mind gets when we stop at the half way point to rest. This is intended for the anxiety & worry that has by then built up during my mind’s planning stage. Oh crap – can I put all this together and do my next masterpiece – or will the next painting session leave disappointment and more worry?

Incidentally, there was a great post yesterday from Keith Bond on the Fine Art Views blog. It’s called “Are You Awesome, or Do You Suck?”

Cool – can’t wait. It occurred to me….since many of us seem to have a sensitivity for our animals and their well-being, maybe you could shoot over some positive thoughts (or whatever you do to keep the faith) for our kitty, Jynx. She’s at the vet having surgery right this very moment. She’s a hearty 17 year old who is suffering from a huge fibrosarcoma on her hip/groin. And many other old age things.

Definitely sending good vibes for you and your kitty. I totally get the love and bond we form with our pets. Martha and I started caring for a stray down the street who was failing fast. Heart breaking. And he wasn’t even our kitty.

Jynx caught the good vibes and is home in bed, sleeping off what is clearly a baaaaaa….aaaaaa…aaaaaaad hangover. Doc was amazed at her fighting, feisty attitude. 10 minutes post-sx, she was making her feelings about the whole ordeal very clear. Good kitty!

What would we do without our creatures? I dare say that there isn’t a human soul I’ve ever loved more than I love my pets. Hmmmm, surely Phil wouldn’t be reading this artsy fartsy blog of yours Larry ……